Nicotine inhaler and method of manufacture

ABSTRACT

A self contained, hermetically sealed, cigarette shaped nicotine inhaler tube includes a cylindrical wall and formed closed ends. The two or more elements making up the tube are formed and sealed together after forming at a location between the closed ends, capturing a filler within. The filler is in the tube to carry nicotine. The closed ends are recessed from the end of the cylindrical tube and may be truncated conically shaped. The closed ends may be drawn further into the tube using heat and the pressure of a probe. A tool for piercing the ends of the tube includes a supportive cylindrical cavity slightly larger than the tube with a centric spike and a terminal surface in the cavity. The cylindrical wall of the tube is supported by the cavity and the truncated conical shape of the end wall to receive the spike for penetrating the end wall at each end. The terminal surface prevents excessive penetration of the spike.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The field of invention is cigarette substitute nicotine inhaler tubes.

There are three patented concepts that define the field of inventionregarding non-mechanical nicotine inhaler cigarette substitutes: U.S.Pat. No. 2,445,476 to Folkman; U.S. Pat. No. 6,769,436 to Horian andU.S. Pat. No. 5,400,808 to Turner, with continuations U.S. Pat. Nos.5,501,236 and 6,098,632, all the foregoing Patents being incorporatedherein by reference. These devices each define a self containedcigarette shaped open air tube inhaler designed to deliver evaporate tothe user released from liquid nicotine contained within the tube.

It was Marvin L. Folkman (U.S. Pat. No. 2,445,476—1958) who may be firstcredited with the concept of a cigarette substitute meant to replaceignitable cigarettes by using liquid nicotine contained in a cigaretteshaped tube and breathing air through the tube to deliver nicotineevaporate to the user. He first teaches an absorbent of tobacco or othermaterial being placed inside an open air cigarette shaped tube thensealing the tube to prevent the escape of any vapors until used. Theopen air tube was to be capped with “plugs” to be removed by the userwhen ready for use.

Mr. Folkman's device might have been a practical and commercial successproviding he would have been able to add the volatile liquid nicotine tothe absorbent within the tube, ship and get the product to his customerwithin three days. However, the science and materials of his day wouldnever allow his product to be adequately sealed to prevent the volatileliquid nicotine vapors from prematurely escaping within the tube to theopen atmosphere before use.

If the tube is adequately sealed with a contiguous nicotine barriermaterial, the nicotine content can last for years. In effect, the sealedtube must be made of one continuous nicotine barrier material. However,without a hermetic seal, three days is all nature allows before theconsumer will discover a tube container mostly depleted of vapordeliverables. Even today, with the advanced chemical resistant materialsavailable, a plug or cap that will provide a friction or interferencefit is not understood to exist. A hermetic seal requires a contiguouswall of barrier material. Any joint friction fit seal will fail. Only afusion seal will contain the nicotine vapors, one where the material atthe seal becomes seamlessly homogenous with the balance of the tubeschemical and pressure resistant material.

It was thought that there were only two ways to accomplish anappropriate seal. Turner teaches:

-   -   . . . a self-sealed, nicotine impermeable barrier enclosing the        nicotine reservoir, said barrier including at least one nicotine        barrier layer formed essentially of a copolymer effective in        deterring nicotine migration; the barrier layer including at        least two adjacent surfaces heat sealed to form a continuous        nicotine impermeable barrier so that the nicotine can be        prevented from migration outside the barrier.

Simply, the Turner device has an open air tube with a “layer” meaning asecond detached piece being sealed over the face of the opening at eachend of the tube. This means that there must be a container of three ormore pieces to be viable; the tube itself and the “layer” for each endof the open tube consisting of one or more layers included with thelaminate being heat fused over the openings to accomplish closure and a“continuous nicotine impermeable barrier.”

The Horian patent taught the second way to accomplish a sealed liquidnicotine content tube that was a continuous nicotine impermeablebarrier:

-   -   . . . an inhaler of volatile nicotine vapor, comprising a one        piece tube pinch closed and sealed at the ends thereof, the one        piece tube being impermeable to nicotine; a volatile nicotine        contained within the tube; and an element in tube absorbent of        the volatile nicotine.”        The Horian device has a container consisting of only one piece        as opposed to Turner's three or more piece container.

In 2006, the Horian patent was challenged with an Inter-partesReexamination at the United States Patent and Trademark Office. Over aperiod of four years, hundreds of pages of documents, including priorart patents from all over the world, were reviewed and carefullyanalyzed in the Reexamination. In the end, the Horian patent prevailed.It came down simply to the fact that there were only two ways tohermetically seal a nicotine content tube to become a continuousnicotine impermeable barrier. The prior technology either seals the openends of the nicotine content tube with two or more layers of barriermaterial (Turner) or uses a one piece tube with pinch close heat fusethe ends (Horian).

It is important to understand why the tube sealing method and closuresare so important when trying to construct a viable nicotine content, airflow inhaler. Liquid nicotine is the reason this task is so difficult toaccomplish. Liquid nicotine, C10H14N2, is a colorless, poisonousalkaloid, derived from the tobacco plant and various vegetables such aseggplant, potatoes and tomatoes. It is the substance in tobacco to whichsmokers are understood to be addicted. The LD50 of nicotine is 50 mg/kgfor rats and 3 mg/kg for mice. 40-60 mg can be a lethal dosage for adulthuman beings. This makes it an extremely deadly poison. It is more toxicthan many other alkaloids such as cocaine, which has a lethal dose of1000 mg. Nicotine is also a very tenacious substance. It will attack andor migrate through most plastic resins; even those usually designed fortheir chemical resistant properties. Nicotine has a vapor pressure of0.53 MBR at 25 degrees C., surface Tension: 39.6 dyne/cm, Density: 1.032g/cm³′ Flash Point: 101.7° C., and Enthalpy of Vaporization: 48.15kJ/mol. Thus, not only is liquid nicotine a poison that can attack ormigrate through many materials, it also has a vapor pressure thatfurther complicates containment within any sealed tube to be used as acigarette substitute intended for consumers to breath released volatilevapors.

With the difficulties of working with a nicotine content hermeticallysealed container now understood, it is important to clarify preciselyhow the Turner and Horian patents are similar in use. Both the Turnerand Horian containers are readied for use by severing or puncturing theexposed extreme ends of the container. Turner by puncturing the flatfaced heat seal “barrier layer” and Horian by severing the extreme endof the pinched closed heat sealed ends.

Both methods leave the container portion that has been punctured orsevered exposed to the mouth; more specifically the lips and tongue ofthe user. This can include jagged surfaces or burrs at the opening ofthe container which might cut or scratch the delicate skin surfaces ofthe user's mouth when contact with the container is made. Further, thisplaces the interior of the tube immediately adjacent the mouth andtongue of the user, allowing contact with concentrated nicotine

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is directed to a nicotine inhaler, its formationand a piercing tool used therewith, the inhaler including a tube sealedand impervious to nicotine having a cylindrical wall and closed ends. Afiller is within the interior of the tube to carry nicotine that willallow evaporation with said evaporate being delivered to the user viainhalation. This device provides a structure which can have the feel ofa cigarette and is able to retain volatile nicotine for an extendedshelf life.

In a first separate aspect of the present invention, at least one end ofthe tube is recessed; and the ends can be pierced for use. The recessseparates the end of the tube from the user's mouth. This displaces thesource of nicotine and the potentially rough point of piercing adistance from the user's mouth and tongue.

In a second separate aspect of the present invention, the recess has aconical wall extending both into the tube and radially inwardly of thecylindrical tube. This can guide the user in piercing the end of thetube for use. By displacing the wall radially inwardly, liquid andfiller material is trapped away from the piercing and is retained withinthe tube.

In a third separate aspect of the present invention, the closed ends areformed with the tube and each has a formed recess. The tube is assembledat a part line between the closed ends.

In a fourth separate aspect of the present invention, a tool havingcylindrical cavity with an opening at one end, a centric spike in thecavity facing the opening and a terminal surface across the cavityprovides support for a nicotine inhaler tube while piercing one end ofthe tube and preventing its displacement beyond that needed to create anappropriate hole. The tool may further be sized to go in a pack withnicotine inhalers.

In a fifth separate aspect of the present invention, the tube sealed andimpervious to nicotine having a cylindrical wall and closed ends mayemploy a hot draw on the closed ends with the end walls displaced fromthe cylindrical wall of the tube. This formation process can thin thematerial and enhance the ease of opening the closed ends for use.

In a sixth separate aspect of the present invention, any of theforegoing separate aspects may be combined to further advantage.

Accordingly, objects of the present invention are to provide an improvedinhaler, a tool for use with the inhaler and a method for themanufacture of the inhaler. Other and further objects and advantageswill appear hereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a nicotine inhaler.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of a nicotine inhaler of a secondconstruction before joining the elements.

FIG. 3 is a schematic view illustrating a tool of opening the closedends of the nicotine inhaler of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the placement of the tool of FIG. 3 in apack for carrying nicotine inhalers of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 schematically illustrates a hot draw to thin the end wall of aclosed cylindrical portion of a nicotine inhaler.

FIG. 6 illustrates a first cross-sectional detail of the open end wallsof the abutting cylindrical portions of a nicotine inhaler.

FIG. 7 illustrates a second cross-sectional detail of the open end wallsof the abutting cylindrical portions of a nicotine inhaler.

FIG. 8 illustrates a third cross-sectional detail of the open end wallsof the abutting cylindrical portions of a nicotine inhaler.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Turning in detail to the drawings, a nicotine inhaler includes a tube 10which is sealed and impervious to nicotine. The tube 10 has acylindrical wall 12 and two closed ends 14, 16. The tube 10 in theembodiment of FIG. 1 is of two molded or formed cylindrical portions 18,20 heat fused together to form a butt-weld 22. Each cylindrical portion18, 20 is a round cylinder in shape having one open end and one closedend wall 24, 26, formed with the respective tube element 18, 20. Thefirst cylindrical portion 18 is approximately 0.250″-0.350″ in diameterand about 1″ long. The second cylindrical portion 20 is approximately2″-3″ long of the same overall diameter. The wall thickness of bothcylindrical portions 18, 20 can range from 0.015″-0.065″ with apreferred wall thickness approximately 0.025″-0.040″.

The open end wall face 28, 30 of each cylindrical portion 18, 20 has oneof three shapes, as illustrated in FIGS. 6-8, intended to allow thejoining of the two tube elements 18, 20 together. These may be rightangle wall faces, FIG. 8, to allow the cylindrical portions 18, 20 to beflush butted together, tongue and groove wall faces, FIG. 6, to retainthe resulting butt-weld 22 displaced from the surface of the tube 10 orlapped end wall faces, FIG. 7, to allow an interference friction fit ofthe cylindrical portions 18, 20 together before welding.

The tube 10 in the embodiment of FIG. 2 is of two molded or formedportions 18A, 20A heat fused or otherwise integrated together. In thisembodiment, one element is the full length of the tube 10 with oneclosed end wall 26. The other element of the tube 10 is a separate endwall 24 having a circular radially extending flange 25. The circularradially extending flange 25 may be heat fused, chemically fused orotherwise integrated with the open end of the cylindrical wall 12. Thus,in both the embodiments of FIGS. 1 and 2, the tube 10 is assembled fromtwo elements at a part line between the two ends 14, 16.

The closed end walls 24, 26 of the cylindrical wall 12 are recessedinwardly of the ends 14, 16. The recess may be of a right angle shape ora conical concave shape or any other shape indented from the right anglesurface. The conical shape is preferred.

To produce a hermetically sealed, self contained, cigarette substituteair flow nicotine evaporate inhaler, the following steps are taken.First, the cylindrical portions 18, 20 are molded, or formed in theembodiment of FIG. 1. In the embodiment of FIG. 2, the cylindricalelement with the tube 12 and one closed end wall 26 and the separate endwall 24 are molded or formed. In each case, the molding process mayinclude injection molding, rotational molding, extrusion, spin forming,casting and blow molding. The elements of the tube may be made of anypolymer, copolymer, rubber, or other material that allows heat formingor heat sealing and is also resistant to liquid nicotine. The tube 10may be parallel in nature or have a slight draft to facilitate molding.The tube wall 12 may have attached or included ribs or bosses tofacilitate the addition and or securement of a filler 32 or the wallsmay be smooth bore, free of inclusions or attachments with the filler 32friction fit within the tube 10.

A preferred embodiment of the molding or forming of the tube 10 is touse a resin known for its chemical resistance to nicotine. Barex®supplied by INEOS Barex, is one such resin as well as PEN, polyethylenenaphthalate marketed by Shell and by Eastman, as well as Vectra® byTicona and Isoplast by Dow. There are many other chemical resistantbarrier plastic resins in use or currently in development that may beused for this purpose.

The filler 32 is air pervious filler and positioned inside thecylindrical wall 12 before assembly of the tube 10. The material of thefiller 32 may be absorbent or non-absorbent providing it containssufficient surface volume to capture or retain via absorption oradsorption virtually all of the liquid nicotine content solution lateradded and that air is able to flow around and or through the fillermaterial to facilitate vapor transfer within the air flow of the tube 10during use. There are literally hundreds of materials that may be usedhere including paper, synthetic fibers, blends or natural fibers such ascotton. Tobacco itself is an excellent absorbent that may be used inshredded form, plug, roll, reconstituted sheet tobacco, a tobacco pouchor moist tobacco.

A nicotine solution is disbursed into the filler 32 before or afterintroduction into the tube 10. The solution may be pure nicotine liquidor other additives or diluents may be included with the nicotine. Flavoradditives, medicates or menthol may also be included. The amount of thenicotine solution added is commensurate with the filler 32. The solutionadded preferably does not go beyond saturation of the filler 32 toprevent liquid solution from leaking in liquid form from an opened tube10. A preferred embodiment would be to add 1 mg to 8 mg of nicotinesolution.

After the nicotine solution is added to the filler 32, the elements ofthe tube 10 are joined and fused to form an air and water tight joint oflike contiguous material so that the tube become one. This may beaccomplished by heating the end wall faces 28, or flange 25 to make themmolten to allow joining, spin welding, RF welding, sonic welding, heatsealing or flaming the cylindrical portions 18, 20 together.

To use, both end walls 24, 26 are punctured to allow air to be drawnthrough the tube 10, picking up nicotine vapors for inhalation. Theclosed end walls 24, 26 of the fabricated tube 10 are recessed.

The preferred wall thickness of the tube 10 stated above is0.025″-0.040″. This is a considerable amount of material to easilypuncture through to open the end walls 24, 26. Preferably, the end walls24, 26 have a wall thickness less than 0.025″ which is much moremanageable for easily punching holes through to allow air flow throughthe tube 10. The end walls 24, 26 are no thicker than the cylindricalwall 12, a thickness of 0.040″ or less, to facilitate puncture. A 0.020″or less wall thickness for the end walls 24, 26 under current moldingtechniques is possible and preferred.

An integral thin wall of 0.010″ to 0.040″ in the recessed molded area atthe point of puncture is functional. However, such a thin wall is stillnot adequate alone for every resin material which may be used. Theelderly and those with arthritis may still have trouble punching througha 0.020″ plastic wall. To solve this problem, post heat pressure formingmay be used. The portions 18 and 20 or 24 to be joined may becontiguously molded. The end walls 24, 26 are part of the same flow ofmaterial that comprise the cylindrical wall 12 of the tube 10 in theembodiment of FIG. 1. In either embodiment, the end walls 24, 26 aremolded as thin as practical including the recessed area.

In post heat pressure forming, the end walls 24, 26 are separatelyheated and/or a probe 34 in the shape of a rounded end rod is heated.The probe 34 is forced against each end wall 24, 26 to draw the end wall24, 26 inwardly of the tube 10. This process stretches the resin wall.It becomes thinner and thinner the further one stretches it from itsoriginal shape. Therefore, the end walls 24, 26 that are contiguous andintegral with the rest of the tube 10 can be pressure formed further forthe purposes of thinning that wall.

The end walls 24, 26 illustrated in the preferred embodiment are shownto extend inwardly from a base attachment at the ends 14, 16 of thecylindrical wall 12 and have a formed truncated conical shape. Theconical shape creates a recess approximately ¼″ deep. This recess can bedrawn by heat pressure forming to a depth of ⅜″ to ¾″ making the sideand bottom walls of the end face walls quite thin. Even with the endwalls 24, 26 being this thin, as long as the material is a continuousflow of the rest of the molded tube part or properly bonded at theflange 25, it will remain an effective nicotine barrier seal untilpunctured. The conical recession additionally is tapered to a diameterless than the ID of the rest of the tube 10. This shape tapers theconical wall away from, or radially inwardly of, the cylindrical wall12. Therefore, the conical wall can retain a loose filler 32 away forthe user, capture any liquid nicotine in the tube 10 from leaking outand displace a hot probe 34 from heating or distorting the cylindricalwall 12 during the drawing operation.

The recessed feature of the end walls 24, 26 prevents a rough or cutedge from being exposed to irritate or cut a users lip or tongue duringuse. The punctured hole is deep below the face area of the tube endcoming into personal contact during use. It is a common practice of manysmokers to “tongue” the end of the cigarette. This practice entailsplacing the tip of the tongue on the end face wall of the cigarette toactually make contact with the cigarette's filter or tobacco in the caseof non-filtered cigarettes. The recessed end of the polymer cigarettesubstitute prevents the tongue or lips from coming into contact with thepunctured or severed opening.

A tool 36 is contemplated to be included with each pack of nicotineinhaler cigarette substitutes. The tool 36 consists of a separateplastic injection molded tube 38 that has a supportive cylindricalcavity 40, open at one end. The cavity 40 has an inner diameter slightlylarger that the outer diameter of the cigarette substitute tube 10. Withthis tool 36, the cylindrical supportive cavity 40 and the conicallyshaped end walls 24, 26 form constraints concentrically about thecylindrical wall 12. It is this concentric system that allows all forceto be directed and contained forward without lateral movement to enableeasy hole punching.

The supportive cylindrical cavity 40 has a centric spike 42 in thecylindrical cavity 40 facing the open end. The spike is shown as a sharpconical element which could also be a needle, nail or screw with a sharptip. The spike 42 can be molded or affixed by any means within thecenter of the supportive cylindrical cavity 40. The base of the spike 42is approximately 0.125″ in diameter. Any diameter sufficient to allowproper air flow through the tube once punctured may be used. The tool 36has a terminal surface 44 across the supportive cylindrical cavity 40within the tube 38 so that the spike 42 will only puncture and penetratethe tube 10 a sufficient distance to create the proper air flow holedesired.

The puncture tool 36 may also be included as an integrally molded partof a package 46 containing the cigarette substitute tubes 10; or thetool 36 may be a separate unit that is permanently attached to thepackage 46 itself. The length of the puncture tool tube 38 iscontemplated to be any length practical but must be ½″ or longer tofacilitate the safety feature of the spike portion being recessed awayfrom the user's touch during use.

The puncture tool 36 can be the same length as the tubes 10 so all maybe conveniently included within each pack of cigarette substitutes butcan be made to any size sufficient to serve its function. Thus for use,one inserts a cigarette tube within the puncture tool tube 38, pushesand the hole is easily punctured. This is repeated for the reverse sideof the tube. The spike is positioned well below the face of the toolcavity 40 so a finger cannot be inserted within the tube. With an ID ofapproximately 0.250″-0.380″ on the tool cavity 40, it would not bepossible to insert ones finger into a hole that small beyond ¼″. This isa safe, fast and simple tool included to facilitate the process ofeasily and quickly puncturing both ends of the tube to allow air flowand use of the product.

Thus, a new self contained, hermetically sealed, cigarette shapednicotine inhaler tube is created that has no puncture area exposed tothe body and includes a method for anyone to easily and quickly affectthe puncturing required to release nicotine vapors from the liquidnicotine saturated filler contained within the tube to the user. Whileembodiments and applications of this invention have been shown anddescribed, it would be apparent to those skilled in the art that manymore modifications are possible without departing from the inventiveconcepts herein. The invention, therefore is not to be restricted exceptin the spirit of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A nicotine inhaler comprising a tube including acylindrical wall of 0.25 to 0.35 inches in diameter and first and secondend walls integral with the cylinder wall, the tube being impermeable tonicotine, the first end wall defining a first truncated conical wallextending inwardly from the cylindrical wall and forming a firsttruncated conical recess extending into the tube 0.25 to 0.75 inches toform a user mouthpiece on the tube at the first end wall; a fillerwithin the tube able to carry nicotine; nicotine within the tube.
 2. Thenicotine inhaler of claim 1, the second end wall defining a secondtruncated conical wall extending inwardly from the cylindrical wall andforming a second truncated conical recess extending into the tube 0.25to 0.75 inches to form a user mouthpiece on the tube at the second endwall.
 3. The nicotine inhaler of claim 1, the tube having a solefabricated fused joint between the first and second ends of the tube. 4.A nicotine inhaler system comprising the nicotine inhaler of claim 1; atool including a supportive cylindrical cavity having an opening at oneend, the cavity closely receiving the tube with the first end wallproximal the cavity, a tapered solid spike in the supportive cylindricalcavity facing the opening, the tapered spike being aligned with the endof the first truncated conical recess with the first end of the tubeinserted in the cavity.
 5. The system of claim 4, the tapered spike notextending the full length of the cavity.
 6. A nicotine inhalercomprising a tube including a cylindrical wall of 0.25 to 0.35 inches indiameter and first and second end walls integral with the cylinder wall,the tube being impermeable to nicotine, the first end wall defining afirst truncated conical wall extending inwardly from the cylindricalwall and forming a first truncated conical recess extending into thetube 0.35 to 0.75 inches to form a user mouthpiece on the tube at thefirst end wall, the first truncated conical wall having a wall thicknessthinner than the wall thickness of the cylindrical wall; a filler withinthe tube able to carry nicotine; nicotine within the tube.
 7. Thenicotine inhaler of claim 6, the second end wall defining a secondtruncated conical wall extending inwardly from the cylindrical wall andforming a second truncated conical recess extending into the tube 0.25to 0.75 inches to form a user mouthpiece on the tube at the second endwall.
 8. The nicotine inhaler of claim 6, the tube having a solefabricated fused joint between the first and second ends of the tube. 9.A nicotine inhaler system comprising the nicotine inhaler of claim 6; atool including a supportive cylindrical cavity having an opening at oneend, the cavity closely receiving the tube with the first end wallproximal the cavity, a tapered solid spike in the supportive cylindricalcavity facing the opening, the tapered spike being aligned with the endof the first truncated conical recess with the first end of the tubeinserted in the cavity.
 10. The system of claim 9, the tapered spike notextending the full length of the cavity.